Full Circle
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: Somethings just work themselves out and sometimes people need their best friend to kick them in the ass. - Danny/Lindsay Season 4/


**So, I guess I'm in an angst ridden mood. Austin's back! Hope you enjoy it. **

**For Rachel cause she essentially read through it, put her stamp of 'awww' approval on it, and encouraged me to write it. Love you, Beef-ef. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, 'sides Austin. **

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**_Takes some advice from somebody who knows you, you should've when you could've _-Skillet;;

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The rubber soles of her boots squeaked beneath her feet against the hardwood flooring of the dimly lit hallway as she came to a stop in front of his apartment door. She raised her arm and pounded against the thin wood with the side of her arm like a cop in a movie. The knocks came in quick succession following a rhythm of threes before she began to bang on the bottom of her door with the side of her foot, "Danny, I won't be nice and use my key. I'll knock the damn door down if I have to."

The elderly woman across the hall stuck her head covered in rollers out to scowl at the angered officer. Austin flashed the badge that was hooked over the inside pocket of the leather jacket she had stolen from her boyfriend as the old lady left with a parting eyebrow raise. Just as Austin stepped back to kick the door in, Danny Messer opened the door standing in a pair of sagging sweatpants and a beater, "Put your G'damn leg down, Crazy Bitch."

"Have you lost your fucking head?" She asked as the palm of her hand connected with the three day scruff he was wearing as her other hand pushed against the flat of his chest, edging him back into the apartment and kicking the door closed behind her, "You sure as hell must have because the Danny I know never would have in a million years cheated on Lindsay Monroe."

"Fuck off, Austin." Danny rolled his eyes and collapsed on his couch, propping his feet on the coffee table amid the sea of half-drank beer bottles, "It's none of your business."

"It is when she shows up at my door sobbing and asking what she could have possibly done wrong." Austin crossed her arms over her chest to keep from chucking one of the amber bottles at his head, "Now, I know that Lindsay shows her emotions a bit more than you and I do, but for her to come to me asking advice on what to do with your lazy bum... Shit, Daniel."

"She was crying?"

Austin kicked one of the bottles off the table and into the trashcan where it promptly shattered, "No, Shithead, it was her allergies. Are you that much of an idiot? That woman has been through so much and I've never even seen her shed a single tear but you, Daniel Dominic Messer, managed to make Lindsay Monroe sob. Be proud."

"Austin," He clinched his eyes shut before forcing them open, "Rikki and I..."

"No, Daniel," Austin glared, trying to keep her anger in check, "there is _no_ Rikki and you. Rikki lost her son and you used her to make yourself feel better. You used Rikki, broke Lindsay, and are slowly losing every last person who has ever gave a rat's ass about you. You better watch your next step or your world's gonna crumble out from under you."

Danny's blood boiled at the idle threats as he rose to his feet, "You don't know jack, Austin! And quit acting so fucking high and mighty. I seem to remember picking up the fucking pieces when you ran like a chicken shit and broke Flack's heart."

"You're not nineteen, Danny!" Austin growled, "I didn't cheat on Flack either if you remember and when I came back I made up for every fucking minute of it. Face facts, Messer, you slept with another woman, you USED another woman, a woman who had just lost her son. You used Lindsay and expected her to wait around until you were done thinking with your dick! Now you want to be all butt hurt over people getting pissed at you. No dice, Buddy. Grow some balls and fix this before it's too late!"

"If Lindsay wants this fixed then why does she ignore me? Why isn't she here?"

"Did you ever take two seconds to realize that maybe as much as she loves you she's sick and tired of being burnt by you, Danny?" Austin brushed a few of the bottles into the trash and perched on the edge of the table, "I know, Bub, I know that you're upset over what happened with Reuben and I know that you feel guilty, but Danny, you've got to stop letting it control you. Talk to me, talk to Lindsay, talk to a counselor, but for heaven's sake, stop letting it make your decisions. Actually, stop letting your bullheaded pride make decisions. Just cause you fucked up once, doesn't mean you have to keep fucking up."

"Graceful." He mumbled mockingly as tears flooded his tired eyes and his resolve began to crumble. His heavy head dipped forward and came to rest against the edge of her knees as her piano fingers ran through his short blond locks, "What do I do, Aust?"

"Right now," She breathed and came up with an action plan, "You're gonna go take a nap while I clean up this pigsty you live in. Then you're gonna shower and shave the porcupine off your face. You're gonna eat something healthy and better for you than pizza and moldy Chinese. Then, I'm gonna drive your sorry ass over to Lindsay's and you're going to kiss some major Montana ass."

Danny stood and popped his back before pressing a kiss to Austin's mess of chocolate curls, "Thanks, Baby Girl."

"Love you, Bub." She looked up at him with understanding eyes before he stumbled down the hallway to fall into a deep slumber in his bed. He felt like he could breathe easier knowing he had Austin's vote of confidence and her help to put the pieces of his life back together. The consistency their friendship held was one of the few things he honestly cherished in his life – the other was Lindsay. He could self-destruct in front of her; fall to pieces, sling history in her face, and scream horrible things until she was crying and she'd never hold it against him. There was something beautiful and peaceful about it and it's where he found his strength for what lay ahead.

Austin walked around the living room tossing empty takeout containers, old news papers, and beer bottles into the trash can. She straightened his DVDs, took a load of laundry down to the basement, and cleaned the dishes that had been piling up in his sink for at least a month. She was dusting down his mantle when she came across a picture of Danny and Lindsay that had been turned face down. She wiped the glass down and righted it next to a picture of herself, Flack, and Danny at the pier when they were teenagers.

As she moved to fold the laundry she had retrieved from the dryer, she sat staring at the picture from her place on the couch. Once upon a time, she was shamed to admit, Austin Hawthorne had absolutely loathed the Montanan cowgirl that had swooped in from the country and stole her best friend out from under her. Then she had seen them together; the way Lindsay smiled, the way Danny grew up and made her laugh. She had come to the realization of two things; one, Lindsay and Danny absolutely belonged together and two, she didn't want her best friend as anything more than a best friend. The jealousy had faded and a beautiful friendship had begun to grow eventually reaching that very moment where she had sided with Lindsay Monroe over Danny Messer.

Before she could blink, three hours had passed and she walked down the hall to wake Sleeping Handsome. She opened the door and saw him sprawled in the falling man position across the entire bed, grinning evilly she ran across the room and jumped onto his back. She bounced the best she could as he swatted at her still half-asleep. She kept bouncing until he flipped her over and pinned her arms behind her back in a way only a police officer could, "Get your ass off me, Crazy."

"Shower," Austin shrugged, "you smell and I washed your clothes so you actually have something to wear."

Danny groaned and shoved her off his bed, "Please tell me you didn't use your girly smelling soap."

"No," Austin dropped her voice an octave, "I used the Butch of Laundry Detergent."

"You're weird."

"Thank you."

Danny flipped her the bird before climbing off the bed and staggering into the bathroom to shower. A half hour later, Danny emerged in a pair of jeans, tee, and his most worn pair of Converse. Austin smiled and handed him the dinner she had ordered from a local health food restaurant. Danny glared at the salad and pita bread wrap before appreciating her kindness and began to eat.

"You didn't have to do this," Danny mumbled around a bite of lettuce he had drowned in ranch dressing, "above and beyond, Baby Girl."

"Someone's gotta pull your head outta your ass on occasion, Bub." She chuckled and took a long drink from her water bottle.

Dinner was finished, leftovers stowed in the trash after Danny claimed he had consumed enough rabbit food for the week, and the two best friends made their way down to Austin's SUV that was parked on the street. The drive to Lindsay's apartment on the other side of Manhattan was filled with relative silence as Danny fiddled with the radio and every time a good song came on Austin would slap his hand away from the dial til finally she pulled to a stop in front of the tall brick building.

"Thanks for the ride." Danny pulled on one of her curls as he pressed a kiss to her cheek, "And everything else."

"Love you," She pecked his other cheek, "go get your girl back."

He gave her the slightest of a smile-nod before sliding out of the GMC and racing into the building. He took the stairs two at a time before he breached the landing for her apartment and raced down the hallway to her door. Danny raised his arm and slammed the side of wrist against the paper thin wood just like the cops did in the movies as he called out to her, "Lindsay Monroe, open this door right now! I'm not above kicking it in!"


End file.
